WPR Daily Review

"China turns up the heat on Japan (again)." 

Views expressed in this geopolitical news and analysis are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 24 February 2026, 2036 UTC.

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February 24, 2026 In partnership with Hello, everyone. Today at WPR, we’re got a look at the ripple effects of last week’s landmark Supreme Court ruling that struck down most of Trump’s global tariffs, and a column that applies the “civilian protection” framework to anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis. But first, here’s our take on today’s top story: The Chinese Ministry of Commerce building in Beijing, Feb. 24, 2026 (Yomiuri Shimbun via AP). In a further escalation of its pressure campaign against Japan, the Chinese government has banned exports of dual-use items to 20 Japanese entities with ties to the defense industry. As a result, major Japanese military contractors like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and IHI Corp., as well as Japan’s space agency, will not have access to some 800 goods that Beijing considers as having both military and civilian applications. These range from “rare earths, chemicals, electronics and sensors to equipment and technologies used in shipping and aerospace,” according to Bloomberg. In its statement announcing the measures, China’s Commerce Ministry also added an additional 20 Japanese entities, including major automakers like Subaru, to its “monitor list,” which will require Chinese exporters to submit additional paperwork attesting that shipments destined for those users are strictly for civilian purposes. Shares of publicly traded companies on both lists sold off in response to the news, given the likely negative impacts on their supply chains. “The above measures are aimed at curbing Japan’s ‘remilitarization’ and nuclear ambitions and are completely legitimate, reasonable and lawful,” the Commerce Ministry’s statement said. Asia’s top two economies have been … Purchase a subscription now to read the rest and get the full top story in your Daily Review email every day. Sponsor

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The best AI outputs come from detailed prompts. But typing long, context-rich prompts is slow - so most people don't bother. Wispr Flow turns your voice into clean, ready-to-paste text. Speak naturally into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any AI tool and get polished output without editing. Describe edge cases, explain context, walk through your thinking - all at the speed you talk. Millions of people use Flow to give AI tools 10x more context in half the time. 89% of messages sent with zero edits. Works system-wide on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and now Android (free and unlimited on Android during launch). Try Wispr Flow free → The Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling last Friday striking down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs came at a moment when U.S. economic credibility hangs by a thread. The decision invalidates the levies Trump had imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which accounted for more than 60 percent of Trump’s tariff revenue. It also eliminates the negotiating leverage that extracted more than $1.5 trillion in investment commitments from U.S. trading partners. As Nicholas Creel writes, the question now facing those partners is stark: Why honor agreements negotiated under the threat of what the Supreme Court has deemed illegal tariffs? Trump’s Tariff Debacle Leaves U.S. Economic Policy Rudderless Trump’s approach to trade was based on credible threats backed by instant enforcement, but the Supreme Court eliminated the requisite legal authority. From Syria and Iraq to Myanmar and Sudan, when legal systems cannot be trusted or it seems unlikely that help is on the way, civilians have often resorted to what conflict researchers refer to as “civilian self-protection” efforts. In embracing nonviolent forms of active engagement rather than either simply protesting or arming themselves to defend their communities, residents Minneapolis also chose civilian self-protection strategies that are more effective at ending repression in the long term than are violent efforts to counter armed actors, Betcy Jose and Charli Carpenter write. From War Zones to Minneapolis, ‘Civilian Self-Protection’ Proves Its Value Many tactics used in Minneapolis are akin to civilian efforts to protect each other from human rights violations in wars or highly repressive situations. India, Brazil: India and Brazil signed a trade pact over the weekend that will increase cooperation between the two countries on mining, minerals and steel sector infrastructure. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, who was in New Delhi for a three-day visit, attended the signing with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As part of the deal, the two countries committed to increasing their bilateral trade to $20 billion from the current $15 billion in the next five years. Panama: Panama has handed over the operations of key ports on the Atlantic and Pacific side of the Panama Canal to Switzerland-based MSC and Denmark-based Maersk after ending a contract with the previous, Hong Kong-based operator last month. Panama’s Supreme Court annulled its previous agreement with CK Hutchison Holdings on the grounds that the privileges and tax exemptions extended under the contract violated Panama’s constitution. Maersk will run the Balboa port on the Pacific side and MSC will oversee the Cristobal port on the Atlantic side until Panama can award a new contract in the second half of 2027. The development is part of a larger competition for control of the strategic waterway that has been playing out between China, the United States and Panama over the past year. While U.S. officials and politicians have long seen CK Hutchison’s concession, in place since the late 1990s, as a strategic vulnerability due to the company’s China ties, the issue came to the fore with the reelection of U.S. President Donald Trump, who demanded the canal’s return to the U.S. soon after he began his second term. In a March 2025 WPR column, James Bosworth looked at how China then pushed back against Trump’s efforts to gain more control of the canal.   China Is Already Pushing Back Against Trump in Panama and Latin America China is aggressively pushing back on the Trump administration’s coercive approach in Latin America. The paid edition of today’s newsletter includes additional On Our Radar items on U.S. allegations about Chinese nuclear testing and a supersonic missile deal involving Iran and China. Purchase your all-access subscription now to make sure you don’t miss important news and analysis. If you believe you are already a paid subscriber and are receiving this free edition by mistake, please reply to this email and we’ll make sure you receive the paid edition going forward.

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